Vancouver’s top high school cross-country racers were decided in two zone meets on Tuesday.
The city’s public schools raced in the VSSAA meet at Fraserview, and private schools competed in the LMISSAA event at Jericho on the same day. Earlier, approximately 3,000 elementary school students participated in an annual 1.5-kilometre race at Trout Lake.
The VSSAA will send its top 20 male and female seniors in addition to the top three teams: Lord Byng, Killarney and Gladstone. The LMISSAA qualified the top 15 senior male and female runners. Provincials are Nov. 1 in Victoria.
At Fraserview on Tuesday, Killarney’s Enid Au capped the season with her third win. Although she missed the the previous league race because of an injury, the Grade 12 student covered the 3.8km course in 14 minutes and 58.42 seconds to win gold. Calli Charlton, of Lord Byng, came second in 15:04.62 seconds and Kitsilano’s Sam Lapin was third in 16:14.85.
Two Grade 9 students from Killarney, Kyra Danielson and Mika Thornitt-Pierre, finished in the top 12 overall.
Kieran Lumb outpaced his closest competitor by more than half a minute. The Lord Byng runner covered the 7.9km course in 27:25.26, putting him 37 seconds ahead of Brodie Marshall of Jules Verne and 53 seconds ahead of Killarney’s Erik Thies.
West Point Grey Academy and St. George’s dominated the respective girls and boys senior events.
WPGA stacked four racers on the podium, leading with Leah Kirsh who won in 15:55 and followed by Dante Sali, Sarah Diamond and Emily Kasa. Kennedy Randall also finished sixth behind Avery Lee-Pii of Stratford Hall.
St. George’s finished with five racers in the top six but were edged out of first place by a St. Thomas More competitor. For the Saints, Keith Chow finished second in 22:38, followed by Ben Kirsh, Owen Pitblado, Nick Good and Colin Mitchell.
